World of Illusion
by Spunky0ne
Summary: The three worlds have fallen under Aizen's spell, but that spell requires a heavy price that Byakuya and the tyrant king pay. Can a band of rebels led by Byakuya's former love shatter the lies and restore the worlds? yaoi, mpreg, angst...Renji/Bya/Renji with some Aizen/Bya, Ichigo/Tetsuya, Aizen/Gin and others!
1. Myths of Heroes

**World of Illusion**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Myths of Heroes**

**(For Winterheart2000, who is in need of a good, angsty read. Enjoy! And yes, my friend, I will continue Rejection of Fate soon. I hope things get better for you soon. In the meantime, we can share some angsty tears over this. Love you, Spunky)**

"You seem unusually tense tonight, Byakuya," Aizen Sousuke commented, caressing his concubine's lovely, tormented face and looking into dark gray eyes that couldn't see him, "Are you ill?"

_Please...please don't take my child._

Byakuya lips moved, but, as usual, no sound emerged from them. Aizen gave him a sly smirk and slid a hand down to run his hands over the concubine's pregnant belly.

_Please, Master, not again!_

_I can't bear this!_

Aizen's hand moved down further finding the concubine's warm, soft privates and stimulating them as he nipped playfully at the pale flesh of Byakuya's graceful throat. And despite feeling sick at the man's touch and terrified of what he knew was coming, the former clan leader submitted readily to the contact, moving with Aizen's hand and letting soft, breathy sighs, the only real sound he could make, escape between his parted lips.

_Maybe he won't take her._

_I know it's a girl this time. I felt her spirit this morning for the first time. But...that is when he takes them away. I don't understand. Where does he take them? Why do I never even get to see them? Why do I forget them until I have another? What is happening?_

He shivered under Aizen's touch as the other man coaxed him down between his parted thighs, and Byakuya obediently set about pleasuring him. Hard, insistent fingers impatiently prepared him, only barely seeing to the task before Aizen's passions overtook his self-restraint, and he mounted the slighter man, entering him roughly.

Byakuya tightened his jaw against the sting of pain, then moved with the man who laid atop his back, yielding because he knew already that fighting was useless.

_Fighting him has already cost me my eyes and my voice. I do not want to know what he will take next. He is a horrid, wicked man!_

_But as horrid as he is, Aizen Sousuke is the soul king. As horrid as he is, he is my master. I have no choice but to obey._

_I only wish..._

His mind strayed in a way it only could when he was near to delivering one of the many children Aizen had fathered, then made disappear.

_He does something to me while I sleep. My mind goes hazy and I forget the child until the next comes. I slowly remember as the child grows inside me, but when the child is taken, he makes me forget again._

_This is agony!_

"There now," Aizen panted against the former noble's damp cheek, "Don't cry. I know you are regaining your memories again. I told you that you don't want to remember. Old memories are painful, Byakuya. Old memories should be abandoned. But, don't worry, it is time for me to relieve you of them. You will feel better in the morning."

Byakuya loosed a soundless sob at the words, stiffening against the strange feeling of pleasure blossoming in his belly and loins. His heart pounded and he breathed heavily into the tangled sheets he clenched, writhing as Aizen's scathing heat tore at his insides, and his own release spilled out despite his lack of connection to the feeling.

Byakuya laid still beneath the king, panting and sweating, and only comforted in being able to remember a few faint images from a time before...

_A violet-eyed girl named Rukia, _he reminded himself_, a half-blood cousin who protected me, a ginger-haired man who rather infuriated me, but was, at heart, a fast friend, a woman who could turn into a cat, a shady scientist. And a red-haired man who loved me. Yes...I knew these people. They were real! I know they were! I know that if they could, they would find me. But they are down in that world below. Master says that there are no other worlds now, but I know he is lying. Sometimes I feel the red-haired man's reiatsu. I am sure of it. Master says it's a lie, but I can feel it far down in my belly, where the truth always seeps in._

_Master is a liar and a wicked man._

_He doesn't deserve to be king._

_I wish...oh, I wish the red-haired man would come and kill him!_

He barely felt the shock of kido that incapacitated him and didn't have time to register the loss that was about to take place. He laid still in the tangled bedding, while Aizen leaned over him and withdrew a small shard of metal, the broken tip of a sword blade that he touched to Byakuya's pregnant belly. He scowled at the fact of what he was doing, but was more than aware of the demands of the enchantment he held over the three worlds.

_But soon I will find a way to avoid this and Byakuya can carry a child we can actually keep. I grow weary of his outbursts every time. Once we birth a child, that won't happen anymore. I can be done with him. Although...he is very good in bed...very beautiful. That's why I chose to keep him alive. Who knows? Maybe I will decide to keep him after. The rest of the Kuchiki clan I slaughtered._

He bristled slightly at the thought of the few notable Kuchikis he hadn't been able to find.

_But I will find them...Rukia, Tetsuya and that horrid little band of misfits. I will find them and kill them, one by one. They should have died a long time ago instead of being a constant thorn in my side!_

He watched as the baby's reiatsu rose out of Byakuya's breached belly, then he opened his yukata, baring the hougyoku and watching as it slowly devoured the royal heir's soul.

_You think that you suffer, Byakuya, but you do not have to watch. I have been kind in sparing you that. You should be grateful._

Aizen let out a discomfited sigh and closed his yukata, then healed the incision in Byakuya's body and raised his own power to its full strength. He focused his power into the concubine's resting body, soothing away the physical hurts and painful memories, leaving him sleeping comfortably. He watched Byakuya sleep for as long as he could, then laid down on top of him, licking his soft lips until he came awake. He plunged into Byakuya's pliant body, starting the process again. Byakuya moved readily with him now, his blind eyes showing no hint of the tears that had been there before, but only a vague senselessness.

_I rather liked it when he had the will to resist, but...he was too troublesome._

_He is much more malleable now...softer...much more pleasant._

_I think I begin to love him._

_No...I only love dominating him._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, are you okay?" Ichigo whispered into his sleeping husband's ear, "Tetsuya?"

The noble's large, sapphire eyes opened and tears leaked onto his face. His hands grasped wildly at Ichigo's yukata and he loosed a choked sob as he fought to regain his composure.

"Hey, it was just a dream, okay?" Ichigo pleaded softly, gathering the distraught noble into his arms and kissing the tears away, "You're okay, Tetsuya."

"B-but, I had that dream again!" Tetsuya managed brokenly, "I dreamed someone took our baby!"

"It's that same dream, huh?" Ichigo said, rubbing Tetsuya's enlarged abdomen gently, "Kisuke told you, everything's fine with our baby. You don't have anything to worry about. No one's going to hurt our baby, Tetsuya, okay?"

"You don't know that," Tetsuya objected, "Rukia and I and Torio and Koji already have to be hidden so that Aizen won't know we are here. With the reiatsu flares I have, it is dangerous, Ichigo! If I am discovered, all of us could be killed!"

"Shh," Ichigo whispered, "We're not going to let that happen. You've got all of us here, all right? We're not going to let you be found. Aizen may control the heavens, but his reach is more limited down here."

"There are still plenty of hands working on his behalf. The noble families have been completely destroyed! He made whores of most of them, up in the royal realm, and the ones he didn't enslave, he murdered! He killed my own family, down to the four of us left here! He wanted to annihilate us all...all except..."

More tears ran down Tetsuya's tormented face and small raindrops began to fall within the room. Ichigo pulled his crying mate close, soothing him with more kisses and gentle words as the door opened and Renji peeked inside.

"Everything all right?" he asked softly, his eyes growing sympathetic at the sight of Tetsuya's obvious distress, "Ah...I get it. Is there...anything I can do?"

"Naw, he'll be okay. I've got him," Ichigo said, nuzzling Tetsuya's wet cheek.

He waited until Renji had left, then wrapped his arms more tightly around Tetsuya, rubbing his belly and breathing reassurances into his ear.

"It's gonna be okay, I promise. We'll make things right again. We're just getting up our strength, and then we'll blast Aizen right off his throne. He won't get away with this, Tetsuya."

"H-he has gotten away with it for nearly twenty years!" Tetsuya reminded him, "All of that time, Byakuya-sama has been up there with him. I don't even know what that man is doing to my cousin! While I am here in hiding...eating, drinking, doing normal things..."

"Shh, I know. But you have to do those normal things, Tetsuya and keep doing them. It's the only way to stay sane until it's time to make our move."

"And when will that be?" Tetsuya sobbed, "How long will Byakuya-sama suffer there, if he is even still alive!"

"Come on, now, you know he's alive," Ichigo said, wiping away the noble's tears again, "Aizen didn't kill him like he did the rest of them. Old man Nori told us that while he cut down the rest, he took Byakuya with him. Byakuya's still alive. And I shouldn't have to tell you that. You're the one who's most believed that all along, Tetsuya."

"I know," Tetsuya whispered, " Just sometimes it is hard to remain faithful. Everything we knew is gone...our families, our homes..."

"But we are still here," Ichigo said firmly, "and as soon as our baby is born and hidden with the rest of the noble kids we rescued, we'll go out there and give Aizen what he deserves, okay?"

Tetsuya couldn't manage to speak, but nodded briefly and met Ichigo's kisses more eagerly.

"Arigatou," he managed between the long, penetrating exchanges, "Ichigo, I am so grateful..."

"I'm the one who's grateful," Ichigo sighed, closing his eyes and bringing their bodies together, "You're giving me back a family. I don't know what Aizen's done with Dad and my sisters, but you are giving me the Shiba heir. I don't know what I'd do without that bit of hope you give me."

"Ichigo!" Tetsuya gasped, sliding his hands down Ichigo's back and capturing his bottom, encouraging his husband's hard, fast thrusts, "Ichigo!"

Ichigo watched the fading away of the worries that had plagued his handsome spouse, and he smiled as he watched pleasure overtake Tetsuya's lovely body, making it writhe helplessly against his. The sight was so beautiful, he couldn't hold back his own release, but gave in loudly, gasping and moaning the noble's name, then kissing him into sweet oblivion.

_Someday,_ he promised himself, _I'll get Byakuya back for him. Tetsuya won't have to cry for him anymore. We'll all be smiling and Aizen will be gone. He won't even be a memory. He'll fade away into nothing!_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Did you sleep well?" Aizen asked, touching Byakuya's confused face gently, "You look a bit off-balance. Are you all right, Byakuya?"

The concubine breathed slowly and tilted his head as though he was looking down at his body for a moment, touching his slender belly questioningly.

"Ah, you were dreaming again, ne?" Aizen said, shaking his head, "For one who has always been so grounded, it is odd to see you carry on this way. But...perhaps you were only foretelling the future."

Byakuya's eyes blinked curiously.

"I spoke to the royal healer this morning, and he assures me that this very night, we have made the royal heir!"

Byakuya's lips parted in surprise and the hand that rested on his belly trembled with emotion. Aizen registered the response and caressed his face, kissing him several times, then capturing his face again.

"You are to be honored for being the concubine to bring forth the heir, Byakuya. And I promise you, on the day our child first draws breath, I will restore your sight so that you can see him or her."

_Of course, our child will likely never draw breath, but..._

Byakuya's head bowed and grateful tears ran down his face.

_A child! I am going to bear a child!_

_The Kuchiki heir,_ he told himself, belligerently forgetting that the child would be called after the king.

But even as he did, a very faint flicker in the back of his mind startled him for a moment. He saw a large, richly appointed house and lovely fragrant gardens, a red-haired man who touched his belly and smiled at him.

_"Marry me, Taichou!" the red-haired man said, grinning widely, dropping to one knee and handing him a diamond ring._

In the dream, Byakuya's mouth opened and he said the man's name, but he found he couldn't remember the name after the sudden vision faded.

"I see you are very happy," Aizen said approvingly, "And I will reward you for the gift you are giving me. I will keep you here in my room. You don't have to go back to the prison. I know you don't like it there. You can live with me here and when our child is born, I will make you my official consort. Does this please you?"

Byakuya loosed a shuddering sigh, relishing relief from the cold, cramped cell and the leering eyes an rough hands of the guards in the prison. He snuggled close to Aizen, pushing the thought of the red-haired man away and placing his hand on his slim belly, rubbing it as he met Aizen's lips eagerly.

_Thank you, Master._

_You are merciful._

He surrendered then to Aizen's affections, ignoring the slight chill the man's touch always gave him and warding off the errant thoughts that seemed such a bother.

"You are lovely, Byakuya, so lovely," Aizen panted, penetrating him deeply and kissing him passionately, "Such a good and obedient servant...so...very...soft!"

Byakuya felt a strange flutter of relief as Aizen's body shuddered and he loosed himself into the concubine, then fell asleep still entrenched in his pale, seed splashed body.

_It's so strange._

_When he touches me, I feel so cold inside. He never really hurts me, unless I disobey him and he does speak kindly to me, as long as I am not defiant. But, I burn down deeper with some kind of dark emotion. I do not understand._

_Aizen Sousuke is my king._

_I am his servant...a mere concubine._

_What are these thoughts that torment me?_

_And who is that red-haired man who wanted to marry me in my dreams?_


	2. In the Gardens

**Chapter 2: In the Gardens**

**(My gratitude to XxYoukai-KaitouxX (Oh, Renji will be moving in Byakuya's direction soon!), Emmagem803 (You've got it! More is on the way too!), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Twenty years is a long time. Renji will have a lot of comforting to do!), Nyu (More about the secret behind Aizen's behavior is on the way! He's not just a power-hungry character here. He's a bit more complex, which will make things interesting.), Alabirdie (Aizen is rather wicked, but not completely inhuman here, which will play into what happens!), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (This will be a wild ride, that's for sure.), SCJ0263 (Aww, but there are good things coming along too! You'll like this chapter, I think!), Kintama-Hime (Yes, the irony of Aizen's kingship is that it is so dependent on the hougyoku. But something is coming into play that will change things.), and Wilhelm Wigworthy (Aww, thanks so much!) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

"Good morning, Byakuya-san," the concubine's attendant said kindly, pausing as he realized he had startled the blind man in the king's bed, "Sumimasen, I should have announced myself more quietly, I didn't mean to surprise you."

Byakuya smiled and sat up, waiting patiently as the attendant set his breakfast tray in his lap and took one slender hand in his.

"It's okay," the younger man said softly, spelling the words into Byakuya's sensitive palm, "He isn't around. He won't see."

_Thank you, Takeo,_ Byakuya signed carefully into the man's hand, _You are very kind._

"Oh, it's nothing," Takeo answered, still signing the words onto Byakuya's palm as he said them, "I like serving you, Byakuya-san. You're a good person. I feel bad about him taking away your beautiful voice and your sight. But you and I can still talk this way, ne?"

_We can_, Byakuya agreed, _Takeo, can we walk in the gardens?_

"You want to walk in the gardens?" Takeo asked, arching an eyebrow, "If you want to walk in the gardens, then you must eat so that you will have the energy. Go on, now."

He leaned closer, whispering into the raven-haired man's ear.

"Your old housekeeper, Matsuko, made it for you...with love, Byakuya-san."

Byakuya's breath caught in his chest as the image of an old woman with long white hair pulled back into a ponytail and a pale blue apron over a darker blue house uniform flashed in his confused mind.

"Yes, you remember her, ne? Shh...eat, Byakuya-san."

Byakuya nodded briefly and began to work slowly at the food. Takeo's eyes followed as he picked up his chopsticks and managed small bites of his meal with a fair amount of accuracy.

"You are doing well with those," Takeo complimented him, "There is soup and tea as well."

Byakuya picked up the tea and breathed in the scent, then winced as another flash of memory struck him.

_"Here's your tea, Taichou."_

_"Arigatou, Renji."_

He set down the tea and spelled frantically into Takeo's palm.

"R-e-n-j-i," whispered Takeo, his dark gray eyes narrowing, "Renji. You remember now?"

Byakuya nodded. He held on to Takeo's hand and began to spell, but was stopped as Takeo squeezed his hand warningly and a familiar step sounded in the room.

"Good morning, Aizen-sama," Takeo said, his head bowing subserviently.

"Good morning, Takeo," Aizen greeted the red-haired attendant, "It looks as though you are doing well at getting him to eat properly. I don't know what your methods are, but I do appreciate you comforting my concubine."

"It is no problem, sir," Takeo assured him, forcing a smile, "Byakuya-san is very pleasant to serve. He has been especially cooperative. Would you mind if we walked in the gardens today?"

"What do you say, my love?" Aizen asked, moving closer and caressing Byakuya's throat meaningfully, I think some fresh air might be good for you."

Byakuya forced his lips to smile up at the king and he nodded his approval.

"Very well," Aizen said, teasing him under the chin, "You may walk in the gardens once he is finished eating. I will be away for the rest of the day, but I want him undressed and waiting for me in the bathing chamber after dinner."

"Of course, sir," Takeo promised, "I will make sure he is on time and waiting for you."

"Thank you, Takeo."

The attendant watched as Aizen left, then quietly observed as Byakuya worked his way through his meal.

"You have a good appetite today," he commented, smiling, "You must be looking forward to our trip into the gardens."

Byakuya nodded and finished the last of his tea, then sat silently as Takeo cleared away the tray. Takeo then waited while Byakuya left the bed and found his way into the dressing area, where his attendant outfitted him in a lovely dark blue yukata that was decorated with a bright fall of sakura.

"I am sorry to not help you so much, finding your way about," the attendant whispered in his ear, "but you must gain confidence, moving around on your own. It's really better for you, sir. I have heard your healers tell Aizen-sama this, but he seems not to listen."

Takeo sighed and his eyes darkened slightly.

"Or maybe he really wants Byakuya-san kept weak. He doesn't like anyone too strong to have close company with him. He is cautious. Eh, s-sorry, Byakuya-san. Come, we should be off for our walk, ne?"

Byakuya nodded and left the dressing area, finding his way across the room and to the garden doors with no assistance.

"Very good, Byakuya-san," Takeo said approvingly, opening the garden doors, then taking the concubine's pale hand and leading him out of the palace.

Byakuya breathed in more deeply as the scent of flowers invaded his senses. He could almost see them, rows upon rows of colorful roses and pretty flowering plants. He knew there was a trail laid with small, smooth stones, and that it was lined with perfect rows of sakura and plum trees. The garden was bright and filled with light and pleasant scents, breezes that tickled his skin and made the ends of his clothes and hair flutter.

And every time Byakuya walked in the garden, he secretly remembered another garden, one that he, himself had designed, and one he knew every inch of, down to the last blade of grass, he had walked it so many times.

"Here now, let's stop for a moment," said Takeo, pausing them at the top of a small rise that overlooked a lovely meadow with a brook that ran through, "The brook is very full from the springs rains. There are several deer grazing in the fragrant meadow and two are lowering their heads to drink from the brook. You can hear the birds, ne? There are families of finch and sparrows, nesting in the trees. Ah, and that proud peacock is strutting around, preening and showing off his lovely tail feathers. There is a pretty hawk circling, casting her eyes over everything. It makes me want to be up there, looking down too."

Takeo's head turned as he felt a soft tremor in the concubine's hand. He caught his breath in surprise and backpedaled swiftly, at seeing there were tears on his face.

"No, sumimasen, I apologize!" he said hastily, moving closer and drying them away as he looked around," Please don't cry, Byakuya-san. I didn't mean to upset you. I will stop."

_No, please go on,_ Byakuya signed into his hand, _Please tell me that story...about the man with red hair and the taichou._

"Ah, you know that Aizen-sama does not want anyone to talk about the world before, especially not to you," Takeo said softly, looking around and reaching out with his senses to make sure they were alone, "But...luckily for you, Matsuko-san remembers, and she whispers the stories to us at night when some of us meet. If you promise to eat well at lunch today too, I will tell you again."

Byakuya nodded in approval, and the two sat down beneath the sakura tree.

"A long time ago, there was a beautiful, raven-haired taichou," Takeo began, signing the words into Byakuya's palm as he spoke them, "And this taichou had a handsome, red haired fukutaichou, who was as wild and fierce as the part of the Rukongai he came from."

Byakuya's blind eyes closed and as Takeo's soothing voice continued, he couldn't tell why, but each bit of the story seemed to fill his weak body with strength and memory.

_Almost as though I was there..._

XXXXXXXXXX

"You all right, Tetsuya?" Ichigo queried, lifting his head off the pillow and studying his restless mate for a moment, "Were you dreaming or does something hurt?"

"It hurts," Tetsuya panted softly, sweat breaking out on his forehead, "Ichigo-sama, I think it is time!"

"Okay, no problem," Ichigo answered, slipping out of bed and grabbing a robe, "I'll bring Michio."

Tetsuya nodded wordlessly, putting his efforts into slowing his breathing and rubbing his distended belly. He inhaled sharply as a soft glow rose up from beneath his clothing.

"Ichigo-sama!" he gasped.

"Shh, I'm here. I'm here," Ichigo said bracingly, flash stepping back into the room, followed closely by a sleepy looking Renji, Rukia and Urahara Kisuke.

"What's all the commotion?" Kisuke asked, joining Michio at Tetsuya's side, "You finally decide to cooperate and have this kid already?"

"I think I never had much choice about such a th-thing," Tetsuya panted as Ichigo smiled proudly and washed his face with a cool, wet cloth, "This little one seems to be setting the rules."

"Heh," chuckled Renji, his eyes betraying a hint of lingering sadness, "You can't let your kid get away with that from the start. You'll just have'em walking all over you. You have to tell them how it's going to be, ne?"

"Ah!" Tetsuya gasped, closing his eyes and wincing, "I do not think this one is in a mood to listen very well."

"It's that Kuchiki blood in the kid," the redhead said affectionately, "The strongest ones have always been pretty feisty kids. It's not until later that the elders tamed them."

"Well," Tetsuya said, more softly, "There are no elders anymore but us, so I suppose we have to try to tame this one ourselves, ne?"

"I think some spunk is a good thing," Ichigo laughed, nuzzling his mate's soft cheek, "And between you and me, there's plenty of that, right Tetsuya?"

"I s-suppose."

Tetsuya's hand clenched Ichigo's arm more tightly as his bared belly grew brighter and Michio leaned over him. Kisuke rose and moved to the four corners of the small room, feeing reiatsu into the concealing cage that hid them.

"Okay now," Michio said, smiling and looking into Tetsuya's widened eyes, "The baby is coming."

The gathered shinigamis watched raptly as the light around Tetsuya's abdomen flickered, then flashed several times, and a part of the light seemed to break away and rise up out of the panting noble. The healer captured the shining cluster and applied his own reiatsu to render it, then the group watched as it resolved into a small, dainty shinigami body with a large, gentle blue eyes and a shock of bright ginger hair.

"Shiba Ichigo, Kuchiki Tetsuya," Michio said softly, his smile wide as he set the child in Tetsuya's trembling arms, "You have a lovely baby girl."

"Oh!" Tetsuya managed, his eyes filling with happy tears as he looked down into his daughter's bright, curious eyes, "She is...!"

"_Amazing_!" finished Ichigo, kissing his lovely mate, "Beautiful. But what does one expect from the Kuchikis, ne?"

Renji stepped back as the others gathered around Tetsuya, and his red-brown eyes filled with discomfort and memory.

_"It won't be long now," Byakuya said, looking down at his rounded abdomen and smiling as Renji ran a hand over the area and sought his lover's soft, hungry lips, "And when the baby comes, I will be able to fight too."_

_"Don't rush yourself," Renji said, shaking his head and slipping a hand into Byakuya's._

_"But Aizen is..."_

_"You and your family are safe here," Renji said soothingly, "Just stay here and have our baby. I'll come to you as often as I can."_

_"Renji..."_

_"The fights are hard, but I promise you, I'll come back for you, okay? Just stay here, where you and our baby will be safe, all right?"_

_Byakuya bit at his lips anxiously, but nodded in fitful acceptance._

_"You're beautiful, Taichou," Renji said, kissing him, "and when this is over, we'll have a real wedding with everyone there."_

_"This child may be born already and I'll be disgraced if this conflict drags on much longer," Byakuya sighed, "Go then. Do what you must. Just...be careful, Renji."_

_"What are you talking about?" Renji chuckled, letting his hand slide downward and seeking the Kuchiki heir's warm, aroused privates as they kissed again, more passionately, "I'm not leaving here without making love to you."_

_"You're impossible, Abarai!"_

_"Yeah, I know," Renji said, pulling the scowling noble onto his lap._

"Renji-san," Tetsuya's voice said, cutting into the redhead's reverie, "Would you like to hold her?"

"Y-yeah," Renji said, smiling and fighting tears, "Thanks, Tetsuya-san."

He accepted the gurgling bundle and his eyes looked down into the girl's blue eyes.

_Damn that bastard for taking this away from us!_

The others in the room went quiet as a tear slid down Renji's face and he handed the baby to Ichigo.

"She's great. Perfect," Renji said in a clipped, controlled voice, "Sorry guys, I've gotta go check in with Zaraki and Yoruichi."

The others watched with sympathetic expressions as Renji flash stepped away.

"I am sorry," Tetsuya whispered, "I feel horrid."

"It's okay. It wasn't bad to let him hold her," Ichigo replied, kissing Tetsuya on the cheek, "It reminds him what we're fighting for."

"But...!"

"Shh, don't think about that, okay?" Ichigo chided him, "We're gonna get Byakuya back and..."

"And what?" Tetsuya asked in a wounded voice, "Even if that happens and they are reunited. Even if they have others...that one that was lost will always haunt them."

"You don't know what happened, Tetsuya," Ichigo argued gently, "He or she may be with Byakuya, for all we know."

"But the child would be grown by now," Tetsuya said sadly, "And you know why Byakuya-sama was taken. Aizen wouldn't have let him..."

"Shh, stop it, okay? This isn't going to help. Look at our little girl. Look at her pretty face. Let's think of a name for her, ne?"

Tetsuya sucked in a slow, trembling breath and nodded.

He thought for several long minutes as Ichigo played lovingly with the ends of his lovely mate's hair and tickled his daughter's reaching fingertips.

"Kakitora," Tetsuya said finally, "The fire tiger."

Ichigo's lips curved upward affectionately.

"Like that story from the Kuchiki archives?" he asked

"The tiger that rose up out of the flames," Tetsuya whispered, touching their daughter's face gently, "and burned the evil ones away into nothing."

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke walked slowly up the long stairs that led into a shielded tower at the top of the palace. His steps echoed on each stair, warning the ones in the room at the top of his impending arrival. as he reached the top, the door to the bedroom there opened and the attendant within the room greeted him.

"Aizen-sama."

He ignored the young man and focused on the two red haired women who knelt at the side of an unconscious silver-haired man.

"How is he today?"

The older of the two ladies stiffened her lips and didn't look up at him.

"He is the same."

"I have stabilized his body," reported the younger woman, "but he hasn't regained consciousness."

"Well," said Aizen, his eyes blinking slowly as he watched the silver-haired man's chest rise and fall, "That is better than him being dead, ne? Thank you, Orihime. You two may go and stretch your legs. I want to visit with Gin."

The elder lady huffed out a disgusted breath, but rose without saying anything and left with the younger woman. Aizen moved forward and sat down at Gin's side, studying his face quietly in the darkened room.

"Will you not wake?" he asked softly, "There are things I have to say to you. I didn't realize when I killed you the true nature of what was between us. Things were complicated because we were at cross purposes. I used you and you plotted against me. Neither of us understood what should have been. But now that you have been brought back, we can explore that together. You will see I have restored Rangiku's soul, as you wished. I have kept her alive and I have not mistreated her. That is my gift to you. It waits here, Gin. But you must wake. Open your eyes, Gin."

He waited quietly, his brown eyes looking down at the unconscious man. A warm hand slipped into Gin's and Aizen kissed him lightly on the frowning mouth.

"Whether you wake or not, you will always be the one person who ever truly reached me...even if it was only to try to kill me. Maybe that's what made me love you. Of all of the ones who wanted to kill me, you came the closest. I respect that. But the time for killing and old grudges is over. I am king and I will happily pardon your offenses and welcome you back, Gin. Of all of the souls I have encountered, yours was truly special. Sleep well, wake soon. I will be waiting."

He rose and turned away, starting to leave as Rangiku and Orihime returned. The three froze, staring in surprise as the man in the bed stirred and his shaky voice sounded.

"R-rangiku-san, is that really you?" he whispered, reaching a trembling hand in her direction.

"Gin!"

"D-don't cry, Rangiku-san," he chided her as she dashed to his side and grabbed his hand, "You know I hate it when you cry."

XXXXXXXXXX

"No one knows what happened to Abarai Renji's beautiful taichou," Takeo said softly, his fingers lacing together with those of the man who rested, leaned against his shoulder and sleeping soundly, "When the fighters reached the place where the noble family was supposed to have retreated, it was empty, and there was no sign anyone had ever reached it. Later, the search teams found and buried the bodies of the ones that had been found by Aizen in the forest and killed. One lone elder whispered a few last words to Abarai Renji as he died. "_He_ _took_ _our leader w-with him_," the man whispered, "_They went into the sky_." But even as years passed and Abarai Renji waited and watched, the way upward never opened. Still, he is there and he looks always into the sky and remembers his beautiful taichou and lover...never forgetting that he promised to come for him, and so he still plans to do."

Takeo went silent, looking out over the peaceful meadow and thinking.

"I want to be like him someday," he whispered, "And if there is a way, I would take you back to him..._Kuchiki Byakuya._"


	3. Rebel's Flight

**Chapter 3: Rebel's Flight**

**(Thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing. Will catch up on shout outs next chapter! Enjoy! Love, Spunky)**

A deep, resounding boom brought Tetsuya and Ichigo suddenly awake, making them sit up in their bed, their hearts pounding and their ears straining. Screams rose up almost instantly.

"Wake up! Wake up! It's _him_!" a male voice screamed, "He's coming!"

None needed to ask who the man was referring to, but the entire encampment came to dreaded wakefulness, the fighters flash stepping to meet the incoming assault as the others scrambled in a hasty attempt to escape.

Kakitora squealed with fright at the first sound of the kido blasts, but Tetsuya was on his feet and pulling her into his protective arms almost instantly as Ichigo grabbed his zanpakutou and guarded the door.

"Get out, Tetsuya! Take Arashi and run for the children's encampment. They need to be warned."

"Hai!" Tetsuya said, placing a warm wrap around the infant and holding her against his shoulder as he opened the window and leapt out.

Ichigo followed, watching the area behind them as the two made their way into the nearby brush, where the stallion waited, prancing nervously and showing the whites of his wide, sapphire eyes.

"Easy, big fella," Ichigo said soothingly, patting the horse's velvety nose affectionately as he steadied the beast so that Tetsuya could mount.

"Be careful, Ichigo," Tetsuya said, giving his spouse a fleeting kiss before putting his heels to Arashi's sides and sending the black Arabian wheeling away from the besieged camp.

"I will be!" Ichigo promised, "Renji and I will find you!"

Tetsuya held their baby close and leaned forward, urging Arashi to his fastest speed, so that he nearly flew through the forest, headed towards the children's quarters. Heavy, pounding echoes rumbled through the area and flashes of light illuminated the way ahead of him in odd, eerie bursts.

"Kami, I hope they're all right!" he panted, his heart pounding wildly and his hands shaking where he held his baby daughter.

He heard more screams and the sounds of nearby explosions, then saw shadows flickering in the trees ahead of him and realized,

"Oh gods! They've attacked the shelter!"

He slowed the stallion and motioned silently to the first of the fleeing children that reached him.

"Follow me!"

Shooed out of the encampment by their elder defenders, the children held hands and hardly dared to breathe as the man on horseback led them deep into the forest, then gathered them together and enclosed the group in a protective reiatsu cage. The sounds of sniffles and soft whimpers brought Tetsuya down off of Arashi's back. He sat down on the ground, motioning for the children to gather around him, then he spoke softly as the sounds of fighting and screams of the dying continued outside the small protected area he had made.

"Miki," he intoned softly, touching the shoulder of one of the older boys, "Tell me what happened."

"W-we had just gone to bed," the youth said, wiping tears away from his eyes as he spoke, "It was quiet and everyone was sleeping. Th-then, there were explosions...a-and I heard a man say that the king was looking for the 'noble brats.' Mama pushed me and Gia out the back door and Tsutomu-san told all of us children to hold hands with our partners like we p-practiced and hide in the trees. Our house exploded, Tetsuya-san! I don't know if Mama...!"

"Shh, there now," Tetsuya said soothingly, "It's going to be all right. I won't let anything happen to you. But we need to know if anyone is missing."

"Th-there were twenty-seven kids in our encampment," Gia added, her teeth chattering slightly as she spoke. Miki, you should take roll."

The older boy nodded and looked around at the others.

"Sound off," he said in a low voice, "Miki."

"Gia," said his sister.

Tetsuya listened quietly as each child gave his or her name, counting silently until they reached the last. He gave a relieved sigh and smiled at them.

"That is twenty-seven children," he said softly, "You did very well protecting and guiding each other. Now, I want you to meet Kakitora. Shiba-Kuchiki Kakitora is my daughter and Kurosaki Ichigo's. Gia-chan, I want you to look after her while I go to find the adult survivors. They will be looking for all of you."

"But Tetsuya-san!" Gia sobbed, "Please don't leave us all alone! I'm scared!"

"There now," Tetsuya said, taking the girl's trembling hand, "Remember who all of you are. You are the children of the legendary noble clans. You come from families of brave fighters who faithfully served the old king. I know that you feel small and you are scared, but you have Arashi to watch over you while I am gone and you also have each other. Mind what your elders have been teaching you. While I am gone, I want you to set up a shelter, gather together to stay warm, and set guards."

"Hai, Tetsuya-san!" Miki said, rising onto still shaky legs, "Jun! Taro! Ken! We will be first watch. The rest of you gather over there and keep each other warm."

"Arashi," Tetsuya said calmly, "protect the children. I will explore the encampment, and then I will come back."

_Yes, Master. I will watch over them._

"Gia-chan," Tetsuya said, setting the baby in the teen girl's arms, "will you please watch over my daughter?"

"Of course, Tetsuya-san," Gia answered, accepting the wriggling bundle into her arms, "Mama said I was very good with our baby brother, Masa."

The girl's eyes widened.

"Tetsuya-san, my baby brother was with Mama!"

"It's okay," Tetsuya said bracingly, "I am going back to search for survivors. The fighting has moved away."

"But Tetsuya-san!" the girl objected, "You can't go back. They will catch you! They will...!"

"I will be fine," Tetsuya promised, invoking his shikai and slipping into a translucent waterform in front of the speechless girl, "You see, my power allows me to move about unseen. Arashi can use that same power to conceal all of you, if need be. Now, watch Kakitora. I will be back soon. I promise."

"Be careful, Tetsuya-san!" Gia pleaded softly, hugging him tightly, then moving to join the other children.

Tetsuya left the protection of the reiatsu cage and made his way back through the now-quiet forest, emerging where the encampment had been, safely hidden by his waterform. His heart clenched at the sight of the burning and collapsed shacks and he looked around carefully, listening for any sign of remaining enemies. Hearing none, he conducted a swift search of the buildings, silently using his shikai water to douse the flames, then checking each fallen shack for injured people. Tears came to his eyes as each dwelling only revealed where the adult protectors had fallen, fighting fiercely to protect the small band of noble children. He paused at the last, taking a shuddering breath, then feeling his heart catch as he heard a tiny cry.

Tetsuya stepped into the last broken shack and immediately heard rustling in the back corner. He moved carefully through the debris and lifted several shattered boards before uncovering the curled body of a woman, who held in her arms a days old baby boy. He knelt cautiously in the dirt and splintered mess of boards and touched the woman gently.

"Amaya-san," he whispered, making his waterform fade as the woman moved slightly and her dazed eyes met his.

"Tetsuya-san," she whispered back in greeting.

"It will be all right," he said softly, reaching out and calling his healing power to bear, "I will take care of you and your baby."

"N-no," the woman objected, "Th-they are searching the towns all around here. You m-must take my boy. Are Miki and Gia all right?"

"They are fine," Tetsuya assured her, swiftly invoking a pain block and leaning forward to address her injuries, "And you will be fine, too. I am going get you out of here."

"P-please! Just take my little Masa and go! Tell Miki and Gia to be brave and to care for their brother. My back is broken and I am bleeding inside. I..."

"Amaya-san, I am not going to leave you. I will heal you."

"No!" the woman sobbed, pushing his hands away, "Those men will sense you! And I haven't more than a minute or two left. Please, Tetsuya-san! Please take him and go! These are the heirs of the Yukihana clan! Aizen Sousuke will not let them live. You know that..."

The woman's voice faded and she quivered under Tetsuya's hands. Slowly, her body began to fade.

"Thank you, Tetsuya-san, for protecting my children," she whispered as she disappeared, "Go now! Keep them safe!"

Tears streaming down his smudged face, Tetsuya gathered the little boy into his arms and slipped out of the ruined house.

"Hey!" a rough voice called out, "What's that? That's one of them, isn't it? Get him!"

Tetsuya turned to face the speaker, his sapphire eyes blazing as they found the group of king's fighters that had attacked the encampment.

"You dare to attack defenseless women and children?" he asked in a low, deadly voice, "You will pay for the lives you have taken here!"

He sucked in a deep breath, holding the baby tightly against him and raising his reiatsu until the ground rumbled. The fighters rushed towards them, their weapons out and in various stages of release as they attacked.

"Bankai, Koori no Bakuha, Re-kuhime!"

He lengthened and sharpened the emerging ice blades into long, pointed icicles that thrust themselves through the bodies of the attacking fighters, quickly impaling them and sending them crashing to their knees.

"You earned this fate by preying on the innocent," Tetsuya said, watching as the screaming men's bodies slowly froze from the inside out, "Touketsu-shima...ice blades that impale and freeze you, but you will live long enough to feel the wrath of the souls you have taken as your bodies break apart! _Kudakero_!"

The bodies of the guards stiffened, then shattered at the last command, falling to the ground in clumps of dust, blood and melting ice.

Tetsuya held the baby close and sought the cover of his waterform as more voices rose up and he heard the sound of flash steps approaching. He slipped into the forest, fleeing on silent feet until the area around him was quiet again and he was approaching the hidden children.

_What am I to tell them?_

_How do I tell these children that their families are gone? These little ones aren't even old enough to remember the noble homes their parents came from. How do we hold on to the world we knew, even as it slips away?_

Tetsuya sucked in a surprised breath as an arm wrapped around him and a familiar voice sounded in his ear.

"It's me!"

"Ichigo!" Tetsuya gasped, turning and meeting his spouse's lips forcefully, "You're all right!"

"I was more worried about you," the ginger-haired Shiba heir answered anxiously, "I sensed what you did back in the town there."

Tetsuya lowered his eyes, remembering.

"It was horrible what they did. Not one of the adults escaped alive. And then attacking me while I held a small child. Ichigo, this cannot go on. Such people as these have to be stopped!"

"They will be," the Shiba heir promised, "But right now, we have to focus on keeping everyone alive. Come on. Renji and the rest of the fighters are with Arashi and the kids you concealed. Arashi sensed us and led us to them."

The two went silent, moving through the trees like pale ghosts and listening for any hint of pursuit. They reached the camp a short time later and Tetsuya delivered the sleeping baby into his sister's arms, retrieving Kakitora.

"Did you find Mama?" Gia asked softly.

Miki's eyes opened and focused on Tetsuya's, reading the sadness in them.

"She was only able to say a few words," Tetsuya said softly, "She told me to tell you to be brave and to take care of little Masa. She is proud of you and wants you to remember that you are the pride of the Yukihana clan."

"Mama?" Gia whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

Miki slipped his arm around his sister and held her tightly.

"Mama said to be brave," Miki said in a trembling voice, "We shouldn't cry."

"It's okay to cry when you lose someone you love," Ichigo said quietly, "Tetsuya and I both lost our moms when we were kids and we did cry for them. The important thing is to keep going, to take care of yourselves. That's what your mom wants, okay?"

"Okay, Ichigo-sama," Miki said, holding his crying sister against him.

"Hey," said Renji, appearing from out of the darkness, "You guys all right?"

"Yes," Tetsuya assured him, "I wasn't injured."

"Good. Looks like we got away from them, but we really need to get out of this area," the redhead said in a frustrated tone, "Even within the cage, if Aizen is close by, he could find us."

"But how can we go anywhere?" Tetsuya objected, "The last attack shattered the escape forms I left to help us get away."

"I was thinking about that," Renji said, his red-brown eyes glinting softly in the darkness, "You used to have an escape form at Kuchiki Manor, ne?"

Ichigo sucked in a surprised breath and Tetsuya gasped.

"You cannot be suggesting we should go there?" he queried, "There are only scavengers and hollows there now! It would be suicide!"

"It would be worse than suicide to stay here," Renji sighed, "There's no way around it. Aizen keeps finding us, wherever we go. At least the remains of the old shakonmaku and the dodgy reiatsu pulses in the area will help conceal us. We don't have a lot of options at this point."

"So, say we do go there," suggested Ichigo, "Where do we put the kids? We can't just let them run loose there."

"I was thinking about that," the redhead said, nodding, "On the property, there was a hidden hot spring beneath that waterfall."

"But we do not know if the waterfall still conceals it," Tetsuya argued.

"Well, we _do _know that Aizen is on our ass and we need to get far away fast, ne?" Renji insisted.

Tetsuya and Ichigo exchanged solemn glances and sighed.

"I guess you're right," Tetsuya said, lowering his head in defeat.

"I'm sorry," Renji said, more softly, laying a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder, "I know going back there is going to be painful, especially for you."

"That place is where I suffered the most humiliating failure of my life," Tetsuya whispered softly.

"There was nothing you could have done," Renji said, shaking his head, "It was a surprise attack and your clan was the most prepared. You at least got Byakuya and the others out of there before the worst of the invasion."

"We lost half our number in that invasion," Tetsuya said penitently, "and the rest in the flight through the forest when our evacuation site was discovered and overrun. It was as though there was no way to escape it. They found us everywhere we went."

"He was determined to get his hands on Byakuya taichou. Real determined. I don't know what made him want that so bad, but it was like he was hell-bent on it. But that's why I think he's still alive."

He sighed heavily, then shook his head firmly.

"We'd better do this."

Tetsuya took a steadying breath and nodded. He slowly walked the edges of the protective barrier, gradually enclosing the whole group inside a massive waterform. When the form was completed, he looked back at Renji for a moment, then closed his eyes and focused on the escape form he kept at the former manor property.

"Touei," he whispered, "Re-kuhime!"

The huge waterform glowed for a moment, then disappeared from the forest, carrying the rebel survivors away.


	4. Escape From Heaven

**Chapter 4: Escape From Heaven**

**(Thanks so much to BunnyHopster26 (Awww, so glad you like it! And here's more to love!), Picklez80 (Okay, here you go!), SilverSerpentine (Tetsuya really hates when someone picks on the innocent, so he does react with some oomph! Glad you are enjoying the story!), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Aizen has reasons for his behavior, though nothing can excuse it, and those reasons will emerge as he is backed into a corner.), Nyma (I'm so glad this one grabs you! It is really enjoyable to write too...very unique.), Alabirdie (Awww, I'm so glad it touches you! Here's a more uplifting one for you!), SCJ0263 (Then, here's something to take the tears away and bring a smile...a brief one, perhaps, but a smile!), and CallMeSenseiKuchiki (That 'craziness' will be served up soon! Very, very soon.) Enjoy the new chapter! Spunky is off to work!) **

Under the cover of night, the shinigami rebels appeared in a quiet, tree dotted glen, just short of what had once been Kuchiki Manor. Tetsuya was immediately taken with the fact that the place where they came down looked little changed, except for the wilder look and feel of the area. But even as it occurred to him, he was able to spot, right away, a number of trees that had been damaged, and an area where fire had raged out of control, then died away on its own before the forest slowly restored itself.

"You guys all okay?" Renji asked softly.

"Fine here," Ichigo said, keeping an arm around his lovely mate as they scanned the dark, forested area around them.

"Me too," Zaraki intoned, "Damn, it doesn't look so different, does it?"

"Not out here," agreed Hitsugaya Toshiro, "But this wasn't a populated area. Those will look...very different, I am sure."

"But being here," Hinamori Momo breathed, "you could almost forget for a moment, how everything has changed. It's so strange how, even all this time later, I still remember the way everything was."

"Enough daydreaming," Madarame Ikkaku said, looking around, "We need to get to where we're going before the sun comes up and we get caught out in the open. I don't know about you guys, but I find this all a little bit creepy."

"Ikkaku's right," Yumichika agreed, his eyes scanning their surroundings, "We should find a safe place to make camp."

Renji nodded in Tetsuya's direction.

"Okay, Tetsuya, you're most familiar with the layout here. Take us in."

Tetsuya, Renji and Ichigo moved to the front of the group, while Zaraki and Hitsugaya moved out along the flanks and Ikkaku and Yumichika dropped back to cover the rear. The rescued children huddled in the middle of the group, protected on all sides by the stronger fighters. They made their way out of the trees and into the shadowed edges of a moonlit plain, where they paused to gather berries from a number of overgrown bushes near the old, barely visible trail, then moved on to where water rushed down into a large, moonlit lake.

Renji stopped the group just short of the lake, sending Ichigo and Tetsuya, shrouded in Tetsuya's waterforms, to investigate the area.

"There's no one around," Tetsuya reported upon their return, "but I do feel more than a few hollow presences in the area. I will provide cover as we move into the hot spring cave. It is still there and well covered by the waterfall and undergrowth. Once inside, a reiatsu cage should hide us well enough."

"Okay, let's go in," said Renji.

Tetsuya expanded the range of his waterform, making the group seem to disappear. He led them along the old trail that led back behind the waterfall, and into the old cave, where he and several other of the group's more capable kido users, set the protective kido cage in place. Momo gathered the children and began directing them how to lay out their bedding, while several of the fighters, gathered the supplies.

"When your things are laid out, you may use the hot spring to bathe, and then you should get some rest."

"Arashi and I will go out and scout the area," Tetsuya offered.

"Not without me, you won't," Ichigo chuckled.

"Why don't you have Hanatarou look at your arm first?" Renji suggested, "You've been holding it funny ever since we made our escape."

"It's fine," Ichigo assured him.

"Please see the healer," Tetsuya said, tilting his head to study his spouse's injury for a moment, "Arashi and I are more than capable of seeing to this, and we have had more rest than you, anyway."

"Eh, all right," Ichigo sighed, "I'll see the healer, but then I'm coming to look around too."

"Oh, very well," Tetsuya said resignedly, "but at least let me extend the use of waterforms so that you won't be seen."

He nodded in Renji's direction and constructed a small water sphere near the cave entrance.

"Have anyone leaving the cave touch this sphere before exiting. They will have the use of a waterform so that they will not be seen. Just remind them to avoid direct light, and that it hit by an attack, the waterform will break and they will appear back here."

Tetsuya offered the Shiba heir a parting kiss, then moved out of the cave and found his stallion at the edge of the meadow, already cloaked in a waterform.

_We must be very careful, _Arashi's voice whispered in Tetsuya's mind, _The hollows seem to roam about here with little concern._

"That is because there are no shinigamis anymore to stop them," Tetsuya whispered, moving with the stallion onto the trail that led to the top of a small cliff at the top of the waterfall, then into a section of forest.

The trail through the forest was rougher and a number of trees had come down, so that the two had to make their way around before proceeding. They worked their way along without incident, emerging near the shattered remains of an old gate that led into what had been the Seireitei's most beautiful gardens, but now stood as a stark reminder of what the war had cost them.

Most of the sakura and plum trees that had lined the garden's trails were fallen and burned, the formerly neatly trimmed hedges torn out and long dead. The flowers that had added brightness and color were mostly gone, except for a few here or there that had survived. The koi ponds were destroyed and the ground dry and cracked, and the place where the buildings had once stood was mere piles of broken and badly burned boards where there was anything left at all. Wild, half-dead vines grew haphazardly over everything, looking like broken spider webs in the eerie moonlight. Tetsuya stood for a moment, observing silently, his mind going back to the last moments he had spent there.

_"Byakuya-sama, everyone is out. Come!" Tetsuya panted, offering his cousin a hand and helping him onto the stallion's back. They looked back one last time at the gardens and Tetsuya felt Byakuya's arms tighten around him reflexively as the manor gates shuddered under the weight of a heavy impact, then blew apart._

_"Go, Arashi!" he cried, sending the stallion flash stepping after the retreating family and house staff, while the sounds of battle moved steadily in their direction._

Tetsuya let out a breath, then sucked in another as Ichigo's arms wrapped around him from behind.

"Don't do that! You frightened me. I could have attacked you by mistake, you fool!"

"You shouldn't be standing out in the open and daydreaming like that," the Shiba heir chided, "but I understand. It must be hard to come back here."

Tetsuya paused as Renji appeared out of the darkness behind them.

"Yes," he admitted, "coming back is very difficult...seeing everything in ruins."

"Well, it looks like that one section of the building over there isn't completely demolished," said Renji, "What was there?"

"Hmmm, there was a study, and then an entrance to the Kuchiki family archive."

"Do you think the archive was destroyed too?" Renji asked.

"No," Tetsuya answered, looking at the still partially standing section, "The archive is actually a special pocket dimension that exists between here and the royal realm. But, only the leader of the household or one bearing his token can enter. I may still be able to enter, but doing so would probably be dangerous as the royal family can also enter the archive from the palace. But, I could see if I can slip inside. There are supplies inside that we desperately need."

"Okay," Renji said, nodding, "Ichigo and I will cover the doorway while you go inside. Just be real careful, okay? We can't get inside to help you if you get into trouble."

"I will be cautious," Tetsuya promised, leading them forward.

XXXXXXXXXX

"That's so strange that the king never arrived here to join you," Takeo said quietly, slipping a yukata around Byakuya's slender body, then waiting as the concubine placed a hand on his arm and walked along with him out of the bathing chamber, "He was so adamant about you being there when he wanted it, but he's been rather distracted by something up in the north tower. I'm not sure what's going on, but I know he had that human girl up there healing someone. I don't know who, though."

He fell silent as they passed through the hallways, headed for the more heavily guarded area where the king's chambers were located. Takeo's feet stopped suddenly and Byakuya's hand tightened on his arm as Matsuko appeared in the hallway, just ahead of them and hastened to join them.

"You must come with me at once!" the old woman said urgently.

"What is it? What's happened?" Takeo asked quickly.

"I was in the king's chambers, cleaning, when a message came from him. He ordered the staff to remove Byakuya-san and to return him to the prison!"

"What?" Takeo said incredulously, "But he ordered that...!"

"I know. I don't know why he gave that order, but I think it has to do with that person that the human girl has been healing. The king ordered that man moved into his chambers. He left orders that Byakuya-san was to receive proper food and care, but that he would be kept in the prison from now on."

Takeo looked from Matsuko's dark expression to Byakuya's devastated one and shook his head.

"Matsuko-san, what can we do? I don't care if they are going to feed and care for him, that is no place for him!"

"I agree. Come with me."

Takeo caught his breath as the old woman led them into the concealed servant's access, then guided them through several passageways.

"We must not be seen by anyone," Matsuko warned them, "Byakuya-san would be punished severely for even setting foot in these passages. But there is no choice. Come. Hurry!"

Takeo followed, leading the blind concubine through the maze of passages, then paused at one of the exits. She admonished them to wait, then slipped through and returned with a small pack for each of them to carry.

"I have been concerned for some time," Matsuko explained as they fled through more passages, "that Aizen would return Byakuya-san to the prison. And I decided that if I heard it was going to happen, I would be prepared. So, I gathered and hid these provisions and I planned a way that we could leave the palace."

"What?" Takeo whispered, "But...you mean, there's a way out of the royal dimension? We can really get away?"

"We can get into the old Seireitei," Matsuko explained, "but we need Byakuya-san to open the door. He is the only one who can. I don't know if Aizen knows this or not, but Byakuya-san has always been able to leave. He only lacked his memory, and so he never tried."

"Can he still open the door if he doesn't remember?" Takeo asked.

"I think so."

"You think so?" the attendant asked in a dismayed tone, his gray eyes widening, "Matsuko-san, what will we do if the door will not open for him!"

The old woman sighed.

"We simply must hope it will. We do not want to consider what will happen to us all of it does not. But we have no choice. We cannot let him be put back in the prison!"

Takeo swallowed hard, holding Byakuya's arm more tightly as the three moved on, slowing as they reached the entrance to the king's library. They slipped inside, then worked their way silently along the back, pausing as they reached a small alcove. Within the alcove was an almost hidden door. Matsuko took Byakuya's hand an guided it to a small panel beside the door.

"Focus on the door, Byakuya-san. Will it to open. It will open for you!"

Byakuya shivered softly as his palm came to rest on the panel and a flutter of memory passed through him.

_I have passed through here before! _he remembered, _On the other side is...!_

The three winced as a sharp click broke the silence. They hastened through the door and closed it behind them, then stood in the darkness on the other side, barely daring to breathe.

"I did not hear the alarms sound as we passed through," Matsuko whispered, "but just in case, we should leave the lights off."

"Where are we?" Takeo asked softly, "Are we in the Seireitei?"

"Yes," the old woman replied, "Or actually, in a pocket dimension in between the royal realm and the Seireitei. This is the Kuchiki family archive, a gift granted by the old king. He made our family the guardians of the Seireitei's histories. We can only enter this place, because Byakuya-san has permitted us to. Only the Kuchiki heir and those who bear his token or are with him and have his permission may enter here. The only problem is that the royal family can, of course, enter as well. Aizen could discover Byakuya-san missing and if he suspects we came through here, well...we had better be long gone by then, ne?"

"Right," Takeo answered, his heart pounding, "Matsuko-san, will you tell me something? For how long have you been planning this?"

The old woman's dark eyes narrowed.

"Since we arrived in the spirit dimension," she hissed softly, "All of us who served Byakuya-san agreed that if we survived and we found him, we would save him. I was careful in the wake of the war. I did nothing to draw attention to myself. I only tried to find my way to him and was lucky enough to be brought to the palace to be questioned, then given a position as a servant, when it was decided I knew nothing important and had no dangerous abilities. I waited and watched over him and when I heard today that they were moving him back to the prison, I knew we had make our escape. Come now, we must gather a few things, then get out of here!"

Takeo nodded and guided Byakuya forward into the old archive, marveling at the pristine condition of the place. They walked along the main corridor, then Matsuko left them waiting and moved into a small alcove, emerging a short time later with another pack filled with provisions.

They left the alcove and walked slowly through the darkness to the exit that led into the Seireitei.

"On the other side of that door," Matsuko said softly, "all lies end. Our history is laid out in truth and our destiny waits for us. Byakuya-san, on the other side of the door, someone waits for you. We will pass through and we will go in search of him."

"Oh my kami!" Takeo whispered in a stunned tone, "You mean _him_! You mean Abarai Renji!"

"Yes," Matsuko said, smiling, "We will go in search of Abarai Renji. If anyone can protect Byakuya-san from Aizen, Abarai Renji can. He and the rebels have evaded Aizen for years, despite his determination to make an end of them. He will help us!"

The three moved to the door and Matsuko guided Byakuya's hand to the panel beside it.

"Have your weapon ready," the old woman warned Takeo, "You are our defender until we reach Abarai-san. Go on."

"But it not allowed," Takeo said breathlessly.

"I know. But if we are to survive, you must protect us. Go ahead. I know that it came to you long ago, and that you have been concealing it. Call it to your hand."

Takeo took a shaky breath and focused briefly, making a sound of mingled fear and excitement as his zanpakutou appeared in his hand. Matsuko gazed at the weapon, remembering.

_"Well?"_

_Her hands held the tiny infant and she felt him take a breath. She sent a flutter of kido through him, then looked back at Aizen with saddened eyes._

_"He...was stillborn, sir."_

_"I see. Very well. Take it and go dispose of it. I will tell him."_

_She held the infant against her chest, making her steps slow and unhurried as she left the infirmary. As soon as she reached her room, she slipped into the servant's passages and slipped out of the palace. She ran until she reached the small village nearby, then hastened to a small cottage near its edge. She pounded fiercely on the door and waited until it was opened._

_"Matsuko!" the man within greeted her._

_"Makoto, you must take this boy and hide him! Do not ask any questions. Please, just make sure that Aizen does not find him! No one must know...that Byakuya-sama's heir lives!_

"Go on," Matsuko said, her old heart pounding fiercely, "Byakuya-sama, open the door!"

Byakuya focused for a moment, then the three held their breath as the doorway opened. Takeo's eyes found another man's and his sword rose up as the other man's came down and crossed his.

"Stop!" Tetsuya cried, staring at the three who had just emerged from the archive, "Renji-san...it is...!"

Takeo's gray eyes rounded as they met Renji's again.

"You!" he gasped, "You are Abarai Renji!"


	5. Shadow

**Chapter 5: Shadow**

**(Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing! You guys are a treasure. :) Love you all, Spunky)**

"I'm Renji," the redhead affirmed, lowering his blade and looking past Takeo to where Byakuya stood, looking ahead blankly, and wearing a lost, confused expression.

"Watashi no itoko!" Tetsuya whispered, his eyes filling with tears as he stepped forward and dropped to his knees at the surprised noble's feet, "Please, forgive me! I am so sorry for not protecting you as I should have."

"Why is he like that?" Renji queried, moving closer as Takeo sheathed his blade, "What's wrong with him?"

"Aizen-sama," Takeo began, then paused, "I mean, the usurper, Aizen, blinded him and made him unable to speak when Byakuya-san resisted him. He also remembers nothing from before the fall of the old world. Aizen wanted him alive, but had to take extreme measures to control him."

Renji started to speak again, but paused, smiling as the woman next to Byakuya stepped forward and brought Tetsuya back to his feet.

"Tetsuya-chan," Matsuko said affectionately, "Byakuya-sama understands that there was nothing that could have protected him that day. Aizen had some reason he needed our leader."

"Aizen needed him?" Renji repeated, his gaze still on his former lover, "Why? Do you have any idea?"

"We really don't have time to answer your questions now, Renji-san," Matsuko said urgently, "As soon as Aizen realizes that Byakuya-sama is gone, he will probably know how we escaped. We have to get out of here!"

"There is a group of my people who stayed behind to keep Aizen busy," Renji said thoughtfully, "But I don't know how long he will stay and be distracted by them. Problem is, we're not having so much luck evading him right now. He seems to keep finding us. We came back into the Seireitei to escape him."

"That is why we came here," said Takeo, "So, what do we do now?"

"Seems like we're stuck between a rock and a hard place," mused Ichigo, "We're damned if we do, damned if we don't."

"Maybe not," Renji said softly, watching closely as Tetsuya moved closer to Byakuya and slipped a hand into his.

"I have missed you," the younger noble said softly, "I am glad that you survived the attack in the forest when we were overrun. I know you don't remember, but..."

Byakuya smiled and turned Tetsuya's hand over, making his cousin look back at him curiously. Tetsuya blinked as the former clan leader began to touch his fingers to his palm.

"Oh," said Takeo, "Since he couldn't speak and he couldn't see, I taught him to spell this way, into my hand, so that we could communicate. He is telling you that he understands, Tetsuya-san. I have told him the stories about the days before the fall of the old world and how Abarai Renji gathered the remaining forces of the Gotei 13 and helped them escape. And since I learned the stories from Matsuko-san, and she was a part of the Kuchiki leader's household, she made sure that Tetsuya-san's devotion to Byakuya-sama was not forgotten...even though he, himself, does not remember."

"Thank you, Matsuko-san," Tetsuya said gratefully, sighing and closing his eyes as Byakuya gently embraced him.

But we still need to figure out what to do," said Ichigo, "We don't have much time before Aizen will figure out Byakuya's gone and he'll be all over this place. We have to get outta here. We can't stay."

"No," Renji agreed.

"But where else is there to go?" Tetsuya asked softly.

"There is one place he wouldn't figure we'd go," Renji said, looking at the archive door, "But...we're going to need some of our group to stay here and keep him busy while the rest of us..."

"Do what?" asked Ichigo, looking perplexed, "The only place we haven't tried hiding is the royal realm and you...!"

He paused, staring.

"Renji?"

"Oh...no, Renji-san, you cannot be thinking we..." Tetsuya began.

"We can't go back there!" Matsuko objected, "Aizen will kill us!"

"It's the only place he won't be looking for Byakuya and for us," Renji concluded, "We'll send word to all of our people, we need them to..."

"To what?" Ichigo asked, looking dismayed, "to keep trying to hide? We aren't doing so well with that! And what about the people left behind? What about those noble kids Tetsuya risked himself to save, huh? What about Tetsuya's and my baby, Renji?"

"I'll send word to Toshiro to take the kids to Yoruichi and Urahara-san. they can protect them. The rest of our people will go on the offensive."

"What?" Ichigo and Tetsuya objected.

"We know their weak spots," Renji said firmly, "We have them hit and run in different places. Keep him focused on them so that we can..."

"So that we can what?" Ichigo demanded, "What good are we gonna do in the royal realm?"

"He won't expect us to be there," Renji went on, "He won't be on guard when he comes back. He'll think Byakuya's in Soul Society or the living world and he'll focus his energy there."

"I must admit, it does sound like the only real option we have," Tetsuya said, frowning, "Whatever we do is a risk, but the truth is, if we are to have any hope of striking at Aizen effectively, we must take him off his guard and get close to him."

"Matsuko-san, is there anywhere to hide a small group of us? Someone who can help us?"

Matsuko gave him a worried look, but nodded.

"Makoto-san is there," she answered, "He can hide us. He smuggled several people out of the royal realm. If I get you to him, then he can hide you."

"Matsuko-san," Renji said, lowering his eyes, "this is going to be a really dangerous mission. Maybe you should..."

"Renji-san," the old woman said, arching an eyebrow, "This weak old woman has managed to sneak Byakuya-sama out from under Aizen Sousuke's nose. And besides, you do not stand a chance of avoiding discovery without me. I know all of the passages leading in and out of the palace. What is it that you think I was doing there all of these years? If you want to attack that man, then you are going to need me."

"All right," Renji said, smiling at the old housekeeper's spunk, "You have a point there. You go with us. What about the boy, Takeo? You want us to hide him here?"

"No," Takeo said firmly, "I am Byakuya-sama's servant. Where he goes, I go."

"Huh," mused Renji, "Then, you'd better make damned sure you're prepared to use that sword you're carrying."

He paused and summoned two hell butterflies, then whispered a message to each insect and sent them winging away.

"Okay then," he said, nodding at the others, "If we're gonna do this, then we have to do it now, before Aizen has a chance to block this way in. Anyone who doesn't want to go, speak up now."

"I'm going with you," Ichigo said instantly.

"I am going as well," Tetsuya affirmed.

"Count us in too!" said a youthful male voice.

Renji turned his head and met with five more determined looking faces.

"Torio, Koji, Rukia, Hanatarou and Rikichi. Okay you're in. Everyone else will stay here and protect the rebels."

"Renji-san," said Matsuko, "I think we should go now, quickly."

"Just a sec," the redhead said, grinning.

The group turned and stared as a series of explosions shook an area in the distant Rukongai.

"Now we can go," Renji laughed.

"What the hell was that?" demanded Ichigo, "What did you do?"

"I used some of that intelligence we stole. I just told our guys in the Rukongai to make some noise to cover our tracks. They're going to put up an offensive, hit and run style. If we're lucky, Aizen will be so busy engaging them, he'll forget all about us."

"That was sound strategy," agreed Tetsuya, "but we had best move now."

Matsuko led Byakuya back to the archive and the Kuchiki heir touched the panel to open it. One by one, the rebels entered the archive, then Renji shut the door behind them.

"Weapons ready everyone," he warned them, "If we're seen, we're done for. Tetsuya, do your thing."

The young noble nodded briefly and invoked his shikai, shielding the group in waterforms as they made their way into the archive, then passed into the king's library. Matsuko led them quickly into the servant's passage, then along the maze of small hallways.

"I have to get you out of the palace," Matsuko whispered, "As soon as it is discovered that Byakuya-sama is missing, Aizen will undoubtedly realize what was the only way he had to escape. And he will interrogate everyone known to have associated with Byakuya-sama before. Takeo-san and I will no longer be safe. We must stay with you from now on."

"That's probably best," Renji agreed, "Now, you say you know where Makoto, Byakuya's old horse-master is?"

"He has a cottage near the palace. But he will not house us there, in case Aizen ever discovers that he used to work for Byakuya-sama. He will come with us and find us shelter and provisions. You will be glad for his help, Renji-san."

"Yeah, I guess," Renji said appreciatively, "You guys have really been thinking this through and planning for a long time, haven't you?"

Matsuko nodded.

"It was always our intent to help Byakuya-sama escape him. We just needed some stronger people, some who might be able to challenge the king. Until you came, Renji-san, you and your friends, all we had was our plans. Now that you are here, we can finally do something!"

"I don't know what yet," Renji admitted, "But yeah...we're sure as hell going to do _something_."

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen watched with narrowed eyes as, in the distance, several huge explosions sounded, and five billowing clouds of smoke and flame rose up on the edges of the Seireitei border.

"Hmmm, so...with me tracking you and you needing to escape, you hit and run," he mused, "A nice strategy, Abarai Renji, but very reckless."

"Aizen-sama!" called a rough, male voice, "They've attacked several of our weapons caches."

"I am aware. Have you sensed anyone specific?"

"Zaraki, Hitsugaya, Madarame and Ayasegawa," the man reported.

"I see," Aizen said quietly, "Exactly who I would have expected. Renji is probably with Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Tetsuya, protecting those children they helped to escape. They are diverting attention to move the children, probably to the living world. Lock the senkaimons and search..."

"We have already searched for their reiatsu and can't find them, sir."

"Ah. Then, we need a new strategy."

The man in front of him made a guttural sound of surprise and pain as he suddenly found the king's sword buried in his body.

"If you can't find them, I will just have to find someone who will," he said as the dying man slid to the ground and twitched several times before falling still at Aizen's feet, "Perhaps is it time to reveal to them the others that I have had Orihime revive. _Barragan, Starrk, Nnoitra, Yammy_. Come."

He smiled as the four appeared in front of him.

"I have one goal for you, and one alone," Aizen told them, "Wipe out every last one of them...all of the rebels. There are not enough left to stand against you. Kill them. All of them."

"Hai, Aizen-sama," the four said, disappearing again.

Aizen looked off into the distance, where the fires from the munitions explosions still raged.

"You have pushed me too far, Abarai Renji," he said softly, "This game of cat and mouse is over. We have played for long enough. the last of the Gotei 13 taichous and fukutaichous are going to die. It is over."

He turned and opened a doorway into the royal realm, then passed through, emerging into the throne room. His feet tapped softly on the marble floors as he left the throne room and proceeded through the large, domed hallways to his bedroom. He turned a curious eye on two guards who stood talking, outside his bedroom door.

"Well, where are they?" demanded one.

"They never arrived, sir!" reported the guard on the door.

"Did you send for someone to find them?"

"Yes, sir. The bathing chamber and gardens have been checked. Byakuya-san is not allowed to go anywhere else."

"What about his attendant?" Aizen asked darkly, making the two guards freeze and stare.

"Ai-aizen-sama," stammered one of the men, "He is missing too!"

"Do you think someone abducted them?" asked the other guard.

Aizen's eyes darkened with fury and his reiatsu rose warningly, making the guards cringe as he glared meaningfully at them.

"Find him! Find them both, now!" he ordered them.

He watched as the two escaped down the hallway, then stood quietly, his mind replaying the sight of the munitions explosions.

"It was a distraction," he whispered, "but not to just shield those children..."

He turned and flash stepped through the palace to the king's library, then found the entrance into the Kuchiki archive. His fingers touched the panel, and he sensed the area carefully.

"I see. Someone told you," he mused, "I should have found a way to destroy that place long ago, but I never thought you would dare defy me by escaping. You are going to pay for this Byakuya. I will look under every stone if I have to and I will destroy anyone who helps you. You fail to understand. The only thing that holds the three worlds together right now is the hougyoku, and the only thing that stabilizes the hougyoku are royal heirs."

He sighed softly, closing his eyes for a moment.

_It all hinged on using the first heir to stabilize the hougyoku permanently. But, Byakuya's son with Abarai Renji was stillborn and shouldn't have counted as the first. So, I don't understand why..._

He paused for a moment, remembering the face of the servant who had assisted Byakuya during the birth.

_Yoshinori Matsuko, the old cook from Kuchiki Manor. I kept her near him to steady him a bit when the losses began to shatter his mind. But she couldn't..._

He shook his head, frowning more deeply as he walked back towards his bedroom.

"Sir!" said a guard, appearing before him, "We have looked everywhere and can't find Byakuya-san or the boy. And now, the old housemaid, Matsuko-san, is missing as well!"

"Lock down the palace," Aizen ordered the man, "Have every inch of it searched for any sign of them. Send troops to search the old Kuchiki estate in the Seireitei as well. They may have escaped through the Kuchiki archive. Find them. And when you find them, kill them all...except Byakuya and Abarai Renji. Bring them to me."

He turned back in the direction of his room.

"I will deal with them personally!"


	6. Bloodlines

**Chapter 6: Bloodlines**

**(Thanks to phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Oh yes, Aizen is in for some surprises, as are our fine heroes!), Alabirdie (Yup! And he's going to be kept on his toes as he stabs in the dark, trying to find Renji!), CallMeSenseiKuchiki (Aww, so glad you like the story!), PlayMyPoisonousGame (Awww, I'm so glad that having a good read helps to stem RL frustrations for you too!), and BunnyHopster26 (You are most welcome! Glad to have you along!) Enjoy the chapter! Spunky's off to work!) **

"Hanatarou," Renji said quietly, looking down at Byakuya's resting form and shivering softly inside at the faded, almost ghostly look of him, "how is it going? Have you been able to restore his vision? Can he talk yet?"

The healer sighed.

"I was able to heal much of the damage that kept him from speaking, but I am not able to remove the seal that keeps him from seeing. It is a difficult one because I don't know the exact conditions under which it was applied. I think the only ones who could affect this seal are the one who placed it, probably Aizen himself, or Inoue Orihime. And she was captured."

"Well, at least I can talk to him," Renji said gratefully, "Thanks, Hanatarou."

"Renji-san, there is more."

"O-kay, what is it? You look pretty serious."

"It is serious. I have scanned Kuchiki-sama's spirit centers and found that they have been suppressed with a royal seal."

"All right, so that means...?"

"It means that the only one who can remove it is the king, using the king's prism," the healer explained, "Kuchiki-sama is completely powerless."

"Damn," the redhead sighed, looking down at the noble sadly, "Do you have any good news, kid?"

"W-well, I was able to affect the barrier in his mind that held back his memories. They will return to him gradually, and we will have to be careful not to overwhelm him. But he should fully regain his memory eventually."

"Ah, that's good news," Renji agreed, an edge of sadness in his voice.

"Renji-san, is something wrong?" Hanatarou asked.

"Nah, I'm just beat," Renji answered, letting out a soft breath and closing his eyes for a moment, "You look pretty done in too. Why don't you go and get some sleep?"

"Hai," the healer said, rising and stumbling off in the direction of his sleeping mat.

Renji remained at the noble's side, holding his hand and gazing down quietly at him while he slept.

_I'm sorry._

_I never should have left you. If I had stayed with you, maybe you never would have been captured...and maybe we would still have some of our dreams to look forward to. But I was off playing hero and it cost the two of us everything._

"I'll make you a promise," he whispered, kissing Byakuya's fingertips, "I swear that I won't make that mistake again. I can't give you back our baby that was lost, but I can take care of you. And if you can ever forgive me for not being there for you, I swear I'll make you happy again. I love you, Byakuya. That will never change."

"Renji-san?" queried a soft, female voice.

"Ah, Matsuko-san," Renji said, brightening at the sight of the old woman, "Were you able to get any rest?"

"Yes, I am fine," Matsuko replied, looking down at Byakuya, then back at the redhead, "But now that we are settled and waiting for our plans against the usurper, Aizen, to be formulated, there is a story that I must tell you. It is about when Byakuya-sama was brought to the palace."

"Okay, shoot. What do you need to tell me?"

"You know, of course, that Byakuya-sama was with child."

"Yeah."

"The official record, and what Aizen believes is that Byakuya-sama and Renji-san's child was stillborn."

"O-official record?" Renji repeated, feeling a jolt in his belly, "You mean...?"

"I arrived in the spirit dimension with a group of servants being screened for service in the palace. Aizen knew that the ones who had served the noble families were people who knew their work, and as long as we seemed weak enough not to be a threat and skilled enough to serve him, we were accepted as the servants to replace the ones slain when he overthrew the king. He secured the palace and set up his regime. He killed most of his enemies, but kept Byakuya-sama in the prison. We didn't understand why, at first, but we learned that he wanted Byakuya-sama's and your child for some use that had to do with the hougyoku."

"But our baby was...?"

"Byakuya-sama was a difficult prisoner. Although his pregnancy meant that his powers were dormant, he refused to cooperate with Aizen, and several times nearly escaped. Aizen's reaction was strange. He did not hurt Byakuya-sama physically, but to weaken him, he placed a heavy seal on his powers, and he took away Byakuya-sama's vision, his voice, then his very memory."

"Bastard..." Renji muttered, stroking Byakuya's hand lightly.

Byakuya-sama weakened after that. He was lost at the taking of his memory and disassociated from everyone. His heart broke and his mind began to shatter, so Aizen, knowing that I had served Byakuya-sama before, asked me to steady him. He allowed Byakuya-sama to remember that he knew me and could trust me, and when Byakuya-sama went into labor, I was in attendance."

"Y-you saw him?" Renji asked, his eyes tearing slightly, "What was he like?"

"He was premature, very small. He had red hair, like yours, and Byakuya-sama's gray eyes. He was beautiful, Renji-san."

Renji closed his eyes against the words, then nodded.

"So, what happened?"

"I was afraid that Aizen would hurt the child, so I touched him with a 'sleeping death' kido and deceived Aizen into thinking he had been stillborn."

"Matsuko-san!" Renji exclaimed softly, his eyes widening, "Are you telling me...?"

"I slipped the child out of the palace and gave him to Makoto to protect. Makoto found a family to raise the boy."

"He's alive?" Renji whispered, a tear sliding down his face, "Our boy is alive?"

Matsuko's eyes traveled to where Takeo laid on a mat between Kuchik Torio and Kuchiki Koji. Renji sucked in a surprised breath, more tears leaking onto his cheeks. He grabbed the old woman and hugged her fiercely.

"Matsuko-san!" he whispered, "Matsuko-san, thank you so much! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me," the old woman said darkly, "I did save Takeo, however, because Aizen believed he had died, he made Byakuya-sama his concubine and began trying to make an heir with him. He had some information that he needed an heir through Byakuya-sama for some reason. I think that the hougyoku is unstable. But something strange happened after that. He was successful in impregnating Byakuya-sama. But every time he made a baby with Byakuya-sama, Byakuya-sama would begin to remember things. He would get so far in the pregnancy, then...something would happen and he would somehow lose the child, and his memory of having been impregnated. As the next child grew inside him, he would slowly remember the ones from before."

"But, what happened? What was going on? What did Aizen do with the babies?"

"I don't know," the old woman sighed, "but the crushing weight of those repeated attempts would weigh on Byakuya-sama during the times when he remembered, and he became despondent and deeply attached to Aizen. And Aizen ceased being cruel to him. He even said that Byakuya-sama would not have to return to the prison, but would stay in the king's own room. But just yesterday, he rescinded that order and ordered that Byakuya-sama must be returned to the prison. He gave no explanation, but we do know that he has been having the human girl, Inoue Orihime working on someone...a man. But we do not know who the man is. I think that Aizen is in love with him, whoever he is. I think that man is living in Aizen's room now. But...Aizen has not stopped trying to impregnate Byakuya-sama. In fact, Hanatarou-chan reported to me that during the course of treating Byakuya-sama, he discovered that Byakuya-sama was pregnant."

Renji's eyes darkened, but he said nothing.

"The baby was lost. I don't know if Byakuya-sama was aware of being pregnant again, but..."

"But if we tell him and he knows he lost another, he's going to be destroyed again."

"Yes. Still, now that you know of Takeo-chan, you can use that to comfort him. But, Renji-san, you must be very, very careful. If Aizen finds out about Takeo-chan, I do not know what he will do! I don't know what plans he had for the boy, only that he was up to no good. So, you must be careful that you only tell Byakuya-sama and Takeo-chan about this."

"Neither one of them knows, huh?" Renji mused.

"It was too dangerous to tell them while Byakuya-sama's mind was so besieged, and Takeo-chan might have acted rashly or too soon, knowing. But Makoto made sure that the boy was kindly raised and trained to fight. And I helped him to be placed as a servant near Byakuya-sama, so that they would be close. I am sorry I could not do more, and maybe you don't agree with all of my decisions. I was only trying to protect Byakuya-sama and Takeo-chan. I didn't know what else to do."

"Well, you did fine, as far as I'm concerned," Renji said appreciatively, "You protected Byakuya and our baby. I am very thankful for that."

"But Byakuya-sama's heart has been broken because..."

"Because of Aizen," Renji said, stopping her, "You protected them the best you could. Don't think about the rest anymore. We're going to go on together, keeping them safe, and we are going to kick Aizen's ass off that throne and seat the rightful king."

"That means that you will have to steal the king's prism," suggest the old woman.

"Yeah, but we'll get to all that later. Right now, we just have to lay low and make our plans. We have to be real careful and not give Aizen any trail to follow. Tetsuya's got us covered with his waterforms, so we shouldn't be found before we make our move to enter the palace."

"You will need Tetsuya-san's power to get inside."

"Yeah, I agree. It's not going to be easy, but we'll do it."

Renji yawned and nodded in the old woman's direction.

"Why don't you go and get some sleep now? We have guards posted, so we'll be okay. I'm gonna stay here and take care of Byakuya."

Matsuko gave the redhead a knowing smile.

"Thank you, Renji-san," she said gratefully, "If anyone can bring Byakuya-sama back to life inside, you can. He loves you very much."

"He doesn't even remember me. How can he love me?"

"Ah, Renji-san," Matsuko said affectionately, "Love has a way of crossing all kinds of borders. Trust me. Do not give up on Byakuya-sama. In time, he will remember you."

Renji nodded briefly and watched as the old woman left Byakuya's side and went to lay down next to Makoto. The redhead looked down sadly at the sleeping noble, holding his hand and breathing slowly as his mind turned over what he had learned.

He stole a glance at Takeo, who laid sleeping nearby, sprawled lazily on his mat and snoring. the sight brought a warm smile to his lips.

"Damn..."

He considered waking the youth, then decided against it and instead, undressed, down to his light yukata. He hesitated for a moment, then carefully laid down beside Byakuya. He sucked in a surprised breath as the noble turned easily into his arms.

"Aizen-sama?" he whispered sleepily.

"No," he answered sadly, "It's me. It's Renji. It's ah...good to hear your voice, Byakuya."

The noble stiffened for a moment, then relaxed in his arms.

"You are the one from Takeo's stories? You are the rebel that Aizen-sama wants to kill?"

"That's me," Renji answered quietly, "But don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you or Takeo or Matsuko-san."

"I know."

"You do?" Renji asked, looking surprised.

Byakuya nodded and nuzzled into the redhead's shoulder.

"Takeo has told me the stories many times," the noble explained, "And always, the red-haired rebel, Abarai Renji, is determined to find his lover and bring him home."

"You know that you and I...?"

"We were lovers and I was with child," Byakuya answered calmly, "I am aware. And the fact that you have chosen to lie down beside me suggests that you still have feelings for me, though I will not assume you are still in love with me."

"What are you talking about?" Renji chuckled, pulling him close, "Didn't Takeo tell you that I wasn't just determined to find you and bring you home? I'm going to love you forever. I still want all of those things that we promised each other back then. But before we can get there, we have to make things safe for us. As soon as we're sure Aizen doesn't know what we're up to, we'll make that happen, okay? Just, for now, I hope it's okay if I hold you while we sleep. I'm not going to try anything. I don't think you'd be comfortable with that until you remember more anyway."

"Renji?"

"Yeah?"

"Takeo said that the red-haired rebel's kiss tasted like fire and that it made the beautiful taichou feel safe."

"He did?" Renji said, blushing and smiling.

"I want to remember what it feels like to be safe."

Renji froze.

"Will you kiss me?"

"Ah...um...y-yeah, if you're sure you want me to," Renji agreed, "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes."

Renji took a steadying breath, then leaned over the noble and touched his lips to Byakuya's gently, reeling as a throb of memory passed over him. He kissed the noble's soft lips several times. Still blushing and more than a little breathless, he smiled at Byakuya.

"So...?"

"I am not sure," Byakuya said uncertainly, "It seemed too careful and less like fire."

"Oh? Well, I didn't want to hurt you or freak you our or anything. Sorry."

"Will you kiss me again, Renji?"

"Is that a trick question?" the redhead chuckled nervously, leaning forward and taking the noble's lips again.

He made a sound of surprise as Byakuya's hands grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him closer as the noble's mouth opened invitingly. Nudged forward by the familiar feel of that touch, Renji forgot his caution and dove onto the noble's mouth, biting down indulgently and savoring him thoroughly, before letting him go again. To his surprise, Byakuya moved closer, laying partially on top of him and resting his head on Renji's shoulder.

"That tasted more like fire," the noble commented, "and when you kissed me that time, something else happened."

Renji found himself blushing again at the sudden thought that occurred to him.

"I remembered being in your arms before."

Renji held his breath as Byakuya's hand moved and very slowly began to trace the array of tattoos on his chest.

"Oh...!" the redhead said quickly, his heart skipping painfully in his chest and a sharp reaction moving through his loins, "B-byakuya, you...you really shouldn't do that."

"What?" the noble asked, giving him an innocent look, "Am I doing something wrong?"

"Ah, n-no!" Renji stammered, "It...It's just that, well...you used to do that and I would..."

"Yes, Renji?"

Renji's fingers wrapped around the noble's wrist, stopping him.

"It made me want really bad to have sex with you. And...I don't think we're ready for that, yet."

He was surprised all over again by the crestfallen expression on the noble's face.

"You are...angry with me for giving in to him?" Byakuya asked.

"No," Renji said firmly, "That bastard raped you."

"Not always," Byakuya corrected him, "The truth is that I was so lonely and confused sometimes that I even told him that I loved him."

"You didn't know what you were saying."

"I knew it was wrong, but I was desperate and alone."

"Yeah."

"So...can you find it in your heart to forgive me, Renji? I'm sorry for disappointing you."

Renji let out a shuddering breath and held the noble tightly.

"You never did any such thing," he said in a shaky voice, "You were just trying to stay alive and okay until I could come for you. I promised you I would come back. I'm sorry it took so long and that you were hurt so bad, but I'm here now, and I'm not letting that bastard touch you ever again. I promise."

"Thank you, Renji...both for forgiving me and for coming back. I am grateful."

"I'm never letting you go again!" Renji promised, holding him even more tightly and kissing him again.

"And I will never leave you," Byakuya promised, kissing him back with equal enthusiasm.

They fell into a sweet barrage of melting kisses, barely able to hold back from making love, but for their surroundings.

"We should probably stop," Renji panted softly, "We're sort of riling the atmosphere here. We'll be moving out of the caves and into a safe house soon, so you and I will have some privacy, but..."

"I understand," Byakuya said, nuzzling close again and laying his head on the redhead's shoulder.

They started to drift off together, but just as Renji was dropping off, Byakuya's voice sounded again.

"Do you think we'll have a family someday, Renji?"

Renji hesitated for a moment, remembering Matsuko's warning and considering what to do. He looked back at Byakuya's lovely, tormented face and found his decision was made for him.

"We are a family," he said softly.

"But..."

"Can you keep a secret? You have to be sure you don't ever tell Aizen, okay?"

"Of course," Byakuya promised, "But what are you talking about, Renji?"

"We are a family, Byakuya...you, me... and the boy that Aizen thinks is dead."

"Our son is...?" Byakuya said, sitting up and grabbing at the redhead's yukata.

"C'mon."

Renji led him forward to where Takeo laid, sleeping, then took a moment to deepen their son's sleep before bringing Byakuya's hand to rest on the youth's face.

"This is our boy, Byakuya."

The noble's breath caught and his fingertips explored the young man's face carefully.

"Takeo-san?" he whispered.

"Matsuko-san told me that she was with you when you had our baby, and that, to protect him from Aizen, she told him the baby was stillborn. She took him to Makoto, who saw that he had good people to raise him. Then, she made sure that he was close to you. He's been with you all along."

Byakuya gave a soft, wounded sob and leaned against Renji, still touching Takeo's face lightly with his fingers.

"We are a family," he whispered, tears leaking down his proud face, "We are a family, Renji!"

Across the room, Matsuko opened an eye and took in the lovely sight of the three men together, then she snuggled more deeply into Makoto's affectionate arms and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
